Monterey, Mexico

"You boys like Mex-ee-co?! Yeeeeeehah!"

So we are officially international. After making a brief stop to tour the River Walk in San Antone, and a briefer stop to pay homage to one of the great recording artists of all time in Pearsall, we crossed over the Rio Grande at Laredo. We were lucky enough to pass through Laredo during the Washington Birthday Celebration, a nearly month-long party to celebrate George Washington. We were able to partake in the Jalapeno eating contest and a little Jamboozie (think Texas Mardi Gras). We finished up in Monterey, Mexico, not only one of the finest cities in the world, but home to one-time World's Largest Man, Manuel Uribe (weighing in at a svelte 1,257 pounds).

We are a month in, and this is the time the nagging injuries usually start. I'll share some advice from your peers to keep you healthy and motivated.

Even horses like Big Mike Wente back off a bit every month or so to let the body recover, so don't be afraid to take it easy every now and again.

Rob points out the importance of moderating your intensity while trying to build miles. You can't go high intensity and high volume at the same time, something has to give.

If something doesn't feel right, for God's sake take a little time off, better to miss a day or two than an entire month once it gets bad.

A number of people pointed out the importance of strength work. It is easy to neglect this aspect when we get wrapped up in mileage goals, but take your time and build a good base, including strength. The mileage will come eventually.

Lastly, I would encourage everyone to keep their egos in check. We are not all young anymore, our body does not recover like it once did, and we are not all in peak condition (yet). Take things slow. Slow, steady progress is the greatest motivator. People usually get sick of working out when they quit making progress or start feeling lousy (overtrained). These things can be prevented by setting attainable, short-term goals, and taking a conservative approach to achieving them.

Welcome aboard to Chris "Deep Fat" Fry, who has recently joined our quest. Congratulations to Dave Wente for logging his first miles of the year, and congratulations to Katie Green and Alysha for good weeks. Unfortunately Katie suffered a sprained knee while playing some racquetball and may be out of commission for a bit, but we will certainly all send get-well wishes her way.

Keep up the good work.